Mechanism of hypoxia down-regulation of reproductive neuroendocrine function in Atlantic croaker.

最近，由于人类活动，全球沿海水域低氧(缺氧)区域的数量和规模急剧增加，但这一全球变化对沿海渔业和生态系统的长期影响尚不清楚。从低氧沿海地区收集的大西洋黄花鱼产蛋量和激素水平显著下降，这与控制生殖的大脑激素促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)的抑制有关。这些研究表明，缺氧可能针对大脑中对促性腺激素释放激素功能至关重要的三种酶，色氨酸羟基酶、芳香酶和神经元型一氧化氮合酶。这个项目将验证这样一个假设，即低氧暴露会通过特定的机制改变大黄鱼大脑中的所有三种酶，从而导致促性腺激素释放激素和生殖功能的下调。这一结果有望在所有脊椎动物中第一次显示，存在一种特定的大脑机制，通过这种机制，低氧可以阻止生殖，作为一种保存能量的适应性机制。研究结果将对资源保护机构的政策、管理和监管决策有价值。本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员，包括未被充分代表的西班牙裔少数群体，将开展独立的项目，并接受关于研究及其分析的所有方面的培训，其结果将通过不同的媒体传达给普通公众、高中生、教师和科学界。培训学员将学习如何利用他们的基本研究成果造福社会，培养他们认识到其研究的潜在的更广泛的社会影响的技能。

Recently there has been a dramatic increase in the number and size of low oxygen (hypoxia) regions in coastal waters worldwide due to human activities, but the long-term impacts of this global change on coastal fisheries and ecosystems are unknown. Marked reductions in egg production and hormone levels are found in Atlantic croaker collected from hypoxic coastal regions which are associated with inhibition of the brain hormone controlling reproduction, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). These studies suggest hypoxia may target three enzymes in the brain critical for GnRH function, tryptophan hydroxylase, aromatase and neuronal nitric oxide synthase. This project will test the hypothesis that all three enzymes in croaker brains are altered by hypoxia exposure through a specific mechanism resulting in down-regulation of GnRH and reproductive functions. The results are expected to show, for the first time in any vertebrate, the existence of a specific brain mechanism by which hypoxia prevents reproduction as an adaptive mechanism to conserve energy. The results will be valuable for making policy, management and regulatory decisions by resource protection agencies. Undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers, including underrepresented Hispanic minorities, will conduct independent projects and receive training on all aspects of the research and its analysis, the results of which will be communicated via different media to the general public, high school students, teachers and scientific community. Trainees will be taught how their basic research findings can be utilized to benefit society by developing their skills in recognizing the potential broader societal impacts of their research.